Cooperation by Member State

The Member State factsheets below explain how FLAG cooperation, as foreseen under EMFF Articles 62 and 64, is being implemented around Europe. The information includes any thematic focus foreseen at national level; budget details, when available; and any specific cooperation procedures and rules established by the national and/or regional authorities.

Cooperation in Portugal is considered a tool to allow the FLAGs to bring together the knowledge and capacity of different actors for a common objective. Both national and transnational cooperation are seen as a way of helping achieve the strategic objectives of the FLAGs.

Cooperation is organised in different ways around Spain, depending on the region. It is generally not mandatory but in the region of Andalusia was a compulsory element of the local development strategies that candidate FLAGs had to submit.

As a multi-regional Member State, FLAG cooperation in Italy is encouraged as a way of sharing new ideas and innovations between regions. Italy takes a flexible approach towards cooperation, allowing FLAGs to benefit from the full range of provisions that the EMFF foresees, including exchanges where these can bring new knowledge that can be valuable to its fisheries sector.

Cooperation is strongly encouraged in Cyprus, both at the inter-territorial and the transnational level. The call for FLAG strategies included a specific section for cooperation plans and all three Cypriot FLAGs, therefore, received provisional approval of their cooperation proposals when selected.

Latvia’s Operational Programme highlights the role of FLAG cooperation in promoting the exchange of experience at a national and international level as a way of helping solve issues that are fundamental for local communities in fisheries areas.

Cooperation is organized differently in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales - at Regional level in Scotland and England, while Wales and Northern Ireland leave cooperation up to the FLAGs to organize. The programme authorities are keen that cooperation projects come from the bottom up so, along with the fact that there is little experience in FLAG cooperation in the UK, they foresee that any cooperation projects are likely to emerge later in the programming period.

FLAG cooperation in Slovenia is mandatory and all FLAGs had to foresee it in their strategies. In the period 2007-2013 there was only one FLAG in Slovenia, covering the coastal area, but in 2014-2020 there are also three new FLAGs in inland areas.